BRICK WORKS DAMAGED

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26511, 28 August 1951, Page 10

BRICK WORKS DAMAGED

FIRE AT NEW LYNN LOSS ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN £15,000 (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 26. Most of the plant at the Amalgamated Brick and Tile Company’s number two works at New Lynn was destroyed by fire which broke out at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Sections of the second storey of the large corrugated iron building housing the plant were also destroyed, and other parts badly damaged. An exact estimate of the monetary loss was not available to-day, but it is expected to be about £15,000 to £20,000. One of the largest in New Zealand, the works produce more than 120,000 bricks a week, and even a temporary shutdown will mean a serious handicap to the building industry in Auckland. There are enough bricks in the drying sheds to keep the kiln going for another five or six weeks, but it may take more than three months to repair the damage, and summer is the heaviest production season. Workmen who were on the premises soon after the fire broke out removed a number of valuable vehicles to safety. The cause of the fire is thought to be an electrical fault. Included m the plant destroyed were electric motors, generators, and clay grinding machines, but the managing-director of the works (Mr T. E. Clark) said that he thought part of the brick-making machine itself had escaped serious damage. All the plant was at one end of the building, which is about 200 feet long. The kiln is in another section of the works area, about 60 yards away. The plant and buildings are well covered by insurance.

Firemen were still at the works until late on Saturday evening and some remained on the scene until midday today because parts of the building were still smouldering. This morning these were further spasmodic outbreaks of fire. An 80feet blacksmiths’ chimney near the plant ‘ escaped damage. The number two works, which was formerly owned by Gardiner Brothers and Parker, covers an area of some acres behind the New Lynn railway station. Work stopped for the weekend at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday, but a kiln attendant (Mr C. Moore) was left on duty. “I had just gone down from the top of the kiln to get my tea when I saw heavy smoke coming from the brickmaking shed,” said Mr Moore. “I went over immediately and saw that the building was well alight inside.” Three other employees who were fishing in a nearby stream went to the building and were able to get three hydraulic transporters, a tractor, and a truck into the open. One of these men gave the alarm to the Central Fire Station, and within minutes firemen from seven brigades were on their way to the works.

Parts of the wooden framing of the building near the plant were soaked in oil and there were a number of oil arums inside which exploded when the heat grew intense. The oil and the tar on the roof helped to give the flames a hold.